One of the first lessons we learn as young people is not to steal. Along with lying, stealing is the most dishonest act someone can undertake. In a society where food and water, creature comforts and a roof over our heads are prized, to take what’s not yours is a capital offense.
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In order to drum that lesson into the heads of young people—really, all people—sometimes it needs to be put into song. Rhyme, story—these are devices that help people learn, even from a young age. Enter: the nursery rhyme, “The Queen of Hearts.” So, let’s dive into the work and its meaning here below.
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Making Some Tarts
In essence, the nursery rhyme, which dates back to 1782, is about the Queen of Hearts making some tarts. Then those confections are stolen. But the King of Hearts has the last laugh in his punishment of the thief, who swears never to steal again.
That’s a pretty simple message. But the severity of the punishment detailed in the rhyme is the key. It’s not just a slap on the wrist. Indeed, the king doles out a big time beating. The rhyme reads as follows,
The Queen of Hearts
She made some tarts,
All on a summer’s day;
The Knave of Hearts
He stole those tarts,
And took them clean away.
The King of Hearts
Called for the tarts,
And beat the knave full sore;
The Knave of Hearts
Brought back the tarts,
And vowed he’d steal no more.
So, what is the lesson here? If you take something—even a few desserts—you could be beaten “full sore,” or within an inch of your life. So… don’t steal and especially don’t steal from those in power.
More Stanzas?
Along with the Queen of Hearts stanza, some have said there are others that were written at the same time. And while those are lesser-known now, they were once part of the larger work. Those are “The King of Spades,” “The King of Clubs” and “The Diamond King. But other historians have said those could have been written later and tacked onto the original “Queen of Hearts.”
In the “King of Spades,” the patriarch flirts with maids and the Queen of Spades beats them and sends them away—here again stealing (this time a lover from another) is frowned upon. In “The King of Clubs,” the patriarch and matriarch fight. And in “The Diamond King,” the knave tries to seduce the Queen of Diamonds and he gets into hot water (again, no stealing love).
But these have little significance when compared to the original, “The Queen of Hearts.” Perhaps simply because that one is so neatly wrapped up in a bow thanks to the rhyme and easily memorable subject matter: the stealing of cookies. Today, the other three rhymes have fallen into obscurity.
Similarly, there is speculation about who the Queen of Hearts might be, but as with so many nursery rhymes the figure is usually ascribed after the rhyme is already known. Though some have contested the Queen of Hearts is based on Elizabeth of Bohemia or Judith from the Hebrew Bible.
More significantly, though, the rhyme appears in the masterwork Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. It is used to poke fun at the British legal system, presented humorously by Carroll as actual evidence of a crime.
Final Thoughts
In the end, while some nursery rhymes have very deep meanings, this one is pretty straight-forward: don’t steal, don’t steal, don’t steal. It can be enticing to take something that isn’t yours. In a way, it seems so easy. But the test of one’s moral character and the best way to assure a punishment-free future is to leave it alone and walk away.
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